Renting a place (whether that’s Airbnb or a chalet somewhere) is the easiest way to make sure you have gluten-free options on holiday. Unfortunately, there’ve been other people in that rental before you & they might not share your dedication to avoiding gluten cross-contamination.

Here’s what I do to make sure I can eat safely in a rented kitchen.

It starts before you leave, really. You’ll want to bring some (dish) towels to make sure you’ve got something that’s gluten-free to clean up with in the first place. If the place you’re renting comes with linen included, make sure it’s cleaned by a dry cleaners, because they put everything in sealed plastic bags. The last thing you want is finding those clean towels sitting on the worktops in the kitchen when you walk in.[Read more…]

On one episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart points out the ludicrous idea that someone should be able to deny a form of healthcare to their employee based on religion by bringing out a writer “with a flu,” and insisting that, since he believed laughter was the best medicine, a good dose of clown-style spritzer water would do the trick. Barbra Boxer then hilariously recounted the event on the senate floor in an aggressively un-funny summary…much like I’m doing now.

But here’s the thing, I’ve been sick for over three years now. And Jon Stewart, the laughter you gave me… well, it may not have been my best medicine, but it certainly has been my favorite.

Ever since Jon Stewart announced his departure from the Daily Show, there have been countless think-pieces about his effect on political discourse (my textbook in high school actually referred to him and Stephen Colbert as “the watchdog’s watchdog”) and how we digest the news. But I feel the need to share the effect he and the also recently departed-but-soon-to-be-reincarnated Stephen Colbert had on me as a chronically ill person. [Read more…]

I use a shower chair, a wheelchair, occasionally a cane. I take a beta blocker, I drink prune juice, I go to bed early, I don’t drink alcohol, I wear reading glasses, and, most of all, I spend the majority of my time knitting.

But knitting is honestly one of my best and favorite coping techniques for living with chronic illness. Here’s why! (And you can pretty much substitute any kind of crafting activity in for knitting.)

Brain Fog. You know it. You love it. That thing that makes simple words like “display” or “benefit” impossible to reach (those were two words I needed help to say yesterday). That thing that makes you stare blankly at your phone for several minutes before you realize you picked it up because somebody asked you the date.

Brain fog usually accompanies other pleasant symptoms that make you seek recluse in bed…which can get seriously boring. There is only so much TV a person can watch before they start to feel their eyes melting. As a lifelong bookworm, I’ve really regretted how little I’ve been able to read since I’ve been sick. It takes energy and mental wherewithal that the spoonie life just doesn’t always allow for. So I’ve discovered a few hints and tricks to allow me to read despite major brain adfkljadfaf-ness. [Read more…]

“You’re one of the stable patients,” they said
As they kicked her to a dingy corner of the hospital.
With the other “stable” patients.
No space. No privacy.
No dignity.
But hey, at least she wasn’t dying.
She waited months for a specialist appointment.
Because she was stable.
Couldn’t work. Couldn’t read. Couldn’t eat if not for the tube in her side.
Couldn’t lift her head.
But she didn’t look sick.
If you ignored the puffy lines on her face
The way she always looked for a place to sit
The look of defeat in her eyes.
But hey, at least she wasn’t dying.

But what, may I ask, is dying?
Because I don’t think this is living.
Laying in bed.
Staring at the TV, but not really watching.
Sorting pills.
Scrolling through tumblr and twitter
Just to know there are others like me.
Making plans
I can never seem to keep.
I’m not living. And what is the opposite of living? [Read more…]

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Disclaimer

None of the opinions or experiences expressed on this site is professional medical advice tailored to your own situation. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your health management plan.